A lengthy list of familiar names makes up Canada's Best Diversity Employers, published in the Globe and Mail in the spring of 2018. The employers were named for having inclusive and respectful work environments and successful diversity initiatives in areas including women, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people and LGBTQ people.

The Mediacorp editors who organize the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers competition reviewed the diversity and inclusiveness initiatives of the employers who applied. From the applicant pool, a list of employers with noteworthy and unique diversity initiatives was developed. The short-listed programs were also compared to those of employers in the same field. Here are some highlights:

Air Canada, based in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, was named for launching a partnership with Ready, Willing and Able, in an effort to match candidates with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder to specific roles.

The BC Public Service, based in Victoria, B.C. created Accessibility 2024, a 10-year action plan to help make the province more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities.

Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) was included for creating the Employment Works! program, to help individuals with mental health or addiction issues to access meaningful employment through skills development.

General Motors of Canada, Oshawa, Ontario was named for maintaining a longstanding Supplier Diversity Council, which works with more than 200 certified minority and female-owned businesses in Canada and the United States.

Manitoba Hydro, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, manages a DisAbility Access Program to help persons who have sustained severe brain injury reintegrate into the work force.

Manulife, the insurance giant headquartered in Toronto, works with Career Edge to offer paid internships for persons with disabilities.

Public Services and Procurement Canada is a federal government department in Gatineau, Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa. PSPC created a Mental Health Ombudsman, the first such position within the federal public service.

SaskPower, in Regina, Saskatchewan was named for committing to creating an inclusive environment at the power company for persons with disabilities.

Sodexo Canada, based in Burlington, Ontario has been recognized for committing to hiring more than 200 individuals with disabilities in 2017 and more than 500 in 2018.